1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for implementing a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme in a next generation millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless communication system.
2. Related Art
The universe of wireless devices of all types running increasingly sophisticated applications has drastically increased the demand for available bandwidth to pass large amounts of data at a high data rate. This demand is expected to continue to increase. Communications in the mmWave region of the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum have emerged as providing a unique solution to the need for increased bandwidth to support high data rate wireless transmissions. Transmitting, for example, in the mmWave region of the RF spectrum offers extremely high data throughputs as a result of the ultra-wide bandwidth available. What was once considered a tradeoff for this advantage to communications in this region of the RF spectrum, i.e. that mmWave communications are highly directional with directional antenna beam forming arrays being required to sustain reasonable transmission distances based on the atmospheric absorption of the transmitted RF energy, is now considered to offer some unique opportunities for mmWave communication schemes.
Wireless communications in the mmWave range of the RF spectrum experience a high level of atmospheric RF energy absorption. Understanding that the transmitted RF energy in this frequency region would be quickly absorbed by oxygen molecules in the atmosphere over long distances, wireless technology developers focused on this characteristic as a benefit for certain applications. Previously, the high levels of atmospheric absorption and resultant range limitations were viewed as rendering mmWave technologies unsuitable for certain wireless applications. As there emerged a need for short-range high data throughput transmission paths, however, mmWave technologies emerged as a solution. An ability to provide reasonably interference free high data rate communications is now considered a significant plus for communications in the mmWave communication region of the RF spectrum.